Shark attacks and encounters off the WA coast have more than doubled over summer and autumn, statistics show, with a mass whale stranding and a salmon run blamed for turning the state's South West into a hot spot for sharks.

Despite Premier Mark McGowan being quick to spruik the international impact of Roger Federer's quokka selfie earlier this year, his deputy Roger Cook does not think social media posts from pro surfers about shark attacks will hurt WA's reputation.

The public might rightly hope both major parties in Western Australia come to realise it is fruitless to politicise the issue of shark attacks, because it seems to have a habit of coming back to bite them, writes Jessica Strutt.

The champion US surfer wades into the debate over the move to cancel the Margaret River Pro, saying a recent mass whale stranding nearby means the area will be "sharkier" in future — but WA's Tourism Minister tells surfers they should surf.

The WA Government throws up the possibility of a SMART drumline trial to combat the threat of great whites as the state comes to grips with two shark attacks in one day, but does not give any funding or timeframe commitments.

Two of the world's top surfers, Italo Ferreira and Gabriel Medina, say they don't feel comfortable competing in Western Australia's Margaret River region in the wake of the two shark attacks yesterday.

A second person is attacked by a shark near Gracetown in WA's South West, just hours after a man's legs were savaged in an incident which forced the Margaret River Pro surfing competition to be delayed.